1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to vertical column hydraulic pumps and more particularly it relates to means for supporting bearings which support the shaft of the pumps and means for facilitating removal and replacement of the bearings.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Vertical column pumps, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,073,606 to Eller dated Feb. 14, 1978, are well known for pumping water from a sump. Such pumps are axial flow and continuously primed. That is, the pump is designed so the pump impeller is constantly below the normal water level in a sump. Normally, the pump is designed so the normal water level just reaches the top of the impeller.
Such pumps have long shafts extending through a water passageway formed by a pump casing. It is known to be desirable to support the shaft with bearings at intermediate locations within the passageway and particularly it is desirable to provide the shaft with a bearing located as close to the impeller as possible.
Through operation of the pump, the shaft supporting bearings naturally wear and require repair or replacement from time to time. However, prior art pumps presented several problems in bearing maintenance.
The bearing located near the impeller is supported on the bottom of a diffuser housing adjacent the impeller. Removal of the bearing required removal of the impeller. This required a time consuming and cumbersome process to dewater the sump. Additionally, intermediate bearings had to be axially split bearings which are more costly and possess shorter lives than solid cylindrical bearings.